[Federal Register: October 19, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 201)]
[Notices]
[Page 60845-60846]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr19oc05-89]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for
a Proposed Land Exchange in Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge, AK
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the Fish and Wildlife
Service intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement, pursuant
to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and its implementing
regulations, for a proposed land exchange and acquisition of certain
lands owned by Doyon, Limited within the Yukon Flats National Wildlife
Refuge, Alaska. The Service is furnishing this notice to advise the
public and other agencies of our intentions and to solicit suggestions
and information on the scope of issues to be addressed in the
environmental document. Special mailings, newspaper articles, and other
media releases will announce opportunities to provide written and oral
input. Public meetings will be held in the cities of Fairbanks,
Anchorage, and in communities within and adjacent to the Refuge. The
Draft Environmental Impact Statement will be available for viewing and
downloading at http://alaska.fws.gov/nwr/yukonflats/current.htm.
DATES: Public scoping meetings will be scheduled for February in
Anchorage, Fairbanks, and the communities of Arctic Village, Beaver,
Birch Creek, Central, Chalkyitsik, Circle, Fort Yukon, Stevens Village,
and Venetie. Meeting dates, times, and locations will be announced at
least 30 days prior to the meeting.
ADDRESSES: Address comments, questions, and requests to Cyndie Wolfe,
Project Coordinator, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1011 East Tudor
Rd., MS-231, Anchorage, AK 99503, or yukonflats_noi@fws.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Cyndie Wolfe, Project Coordinator,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1011 East Tudor Rd., MS-231, Anchorage,
AK 99503, phone number 907-786-3463 or yukonflats_noi@fws.gov.
Additional information concerning the proposed land exchange can be
found at http://alaska.fws.gov/nwr/yukonflats/current.htm.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Doyon, Limited (Doyon) is an Alaska Native
Regional Corporation established under the Alaska Native Claims
Settlement Act of 1971 (ANCSA; 43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) Under the
authority of ANCSA, Congress granted to Doyon land entitlements within
an area that became the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge)
in 1980. Doyon has ownership interests in approximately 2.14 million
acres within the boundaries of the Refuge, including the surface and
subsurface estates of 1.25 million acres of land, and the subsurface
estate of another 890,000 acres. An additional 56,517 acres remain to
be allocated by Doyon to Village Corporations located in the Refuge;
Doyon would own the subsurface to these lands. Doyon is owned by over
14,000 Alaska Natives (Native Americans) with ties to a large portion
of interior Alaska. Approximately 1,000 people reside in several
communities in the Yukon Flats. Most residents are Alaska Natives and
many are Doyon shareholders.
The Yukon Flats Refuge is located in eastern interior Alaska. The
exterior boundaries include about 11 million acres, of which about 2.14
million acres are owned by ANCSA Native corporations, including Doyon.
The Refuge includes the Yukon Flats, a vast wetland basin bisected by
the Yukon River. The basin is underlain by permafrost and includes a
complex network of lakes, streams, and rivers. The Refuge supports the
highest density of breeding ducks in Alaska, and includes one of the
greatest waterfowl breeding areas in North America.
Negotiators for Doyon and the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service),
Alaska Region, have agreed in principle to provide Doyon title to some
Refuge lands that may hold developable oil and gas resources. In
exchange, the United States (U.S.) would receive lands currently owned
by Doyon within the Refuge boundary. These lands include wetlands
previously identified by the Service as quality fish and wildlife
habitat. In addition, both parties have agreed to exchange nearly six
townships (264,000 acres) to consolidate ownerships and facilitate land
management. All lands acquired by the U.S. would be managed as part of
the Yukon Flats Refuge. Activities on Doyon lands are not subject to
regulation by the Service.
To evaluate the exchange, the Service will prepare an Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) in accordance with procedures for implementing
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321-
4370d). Appropriate agencies will be invited to participate as
cooperating or reviewing agencies. National Environmental Policy Act
compliance is not legally required for land exchanges conducted under
the provisions of ANCSA and the Alaska National Interest Lands
Conservation Act (ANILCA; 16 U.S.C. 410hh-410hh-5, 460 mm-460mm-4, 539-
539e, and 3101-3233; also 43 U.S.C. 1631-1642). However, at the request
of Doyon and the public, the Department of the Interior has agreed to
evaluate the proposed land exchange through the process of an EIS.
The EIS will evaluate a range of reasonable alternatives, including
the following four alternatives. All these alternatives, including the
``no action'' alternative, could result in oil and/or gas development
on Doyon-owned lands. Because access to Doyon lands would cross
federally-owned lands, Doyon would be required to apply for a right-of-
way permit under Title XI of ANILCA. At that time, a separate NEPA
process would evaluate various transportation/pipeline corridor
alternatives.
(1) Equal-value land exchange (based on fair market appraisals) as
described in the Agreement in Principle (for the full text of the
Agreement, see http://alaska.fws.gov/nwr/yukonflats/current.htm). Under
Phase 1 of this agreement, Doyon would receive about 110,000 acres of
Refuge lands with oil/gas potential and 97,000 acres of oil and gas
interests (no surface occupancy). In exchange, the U.S. would receive
from Doyon an equal-value amount of lands (tentatively estimated at
150,000 acres), with quality fish and wildlife habitats. In addition,
Doyon would reallocate 56,517 acres of its remaining land entitlement
outside the Refuge. Both parties would pursue additional township-level
exchanges to consolidate ownerships. If Doyon discovers and produces
oil or gas on the lands it acquires in the exchange, the Service would
receive production payments to be used to: (1) Purchase from Doyon
certain additional lands or interests therein, within the Refuge, (2)
purchase land or interests therein, from other willing sellers in other
national wildlife refuges in Alaska, or (3) to construct facilities in
Alaska Refuges.
(2) No action. The U.S. would not enter into a land exchange with
Doyon. Any oil or gas exploration/development by Doyon within the
Refuge would be confined to Doyon's current land holdings. Under the
provisions of
[[Page 60846]]
ANILCA, the Service would be required to provide Doyon with adequate
and feasible access to its holdings, which could include a road and/or
pipeline across Refuge lands, if warranted by production.
(3) Modified land exchange with conservation easements. The land
exchange would proceed as described in Phase 1 under Alternative 1
above. In addition, at the time of the initial exchange, Doyon would
donate to the U.S. conservation easements that preclude development on
those Doyon lands identified in Phase II of the Agreement in Principle
(whether or not oil/gas is produced from the exchange lands). If Doyon
were to produce oil/gas, the U.S. would receive reduced ``production
payments.''
(4) Modified land exchange excluding White-Crazy Mountains. The
Yukon Flats Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Impact
Statement recommended Wilderness designation for a 658,000 acre area in
the White-Crazy Mountains. Under Alternatives 1 and 3, Doyon would
receive title to about 26,270 acres of this land; under Atlternative 4,
these 26,270 acres would be excluded from the exchange. In Phase I of
the exchange, Doyon would receive approximately 84,000 acres of Refuge
lands, surface and subsurface. From Doyon, the U.S. would receive an
equal-value amount of land. Doyon would receive some oil and gas rights
at the northern edge of the recommended Wilderness area, but only off-
site drilling would be allowed; there would be no surface occupancy by
Doyon. There would be no access corridor through the Service-
recommended Wilderness area. The land consolidation exchange and 12(b)
reallocation provisions of Phase I would proceed as detailed in the
Agreement in Principle. Phase II of the exchange, would proceed as
detailed in the Agreement, however Doyon's commitment to sell the U.S.
additional lands would be reduced from about 120,000 acres to about
80,000 acres.
The Fish and Wildlife Service released an Evaluation and Review of
a Proposed Land Exchange and Acquisition of Native Lands on February 3,
2005, and accepted public comments until July 30, 2005. The Evaluation
and Review, along with the comments received to date will be used in
the scoping of a more detailed analysis through the EIS process. The
Summary of Public Comments on a Proposed Land Exchange, Yukon Flats
National Wildlife Refuge, 2005 is posted at http://alaska.fws.gov/nwr/yukonflats/current.htm.
Issues of concern repeatedly identified during
the public comment period that will be addressed in the EIS may
include, but are not limited to:
(1) Refuge Purposes. The potential conflict between the proposed
land exchange and the purposes of the Refuge;
(2) Environmental Impacts. The potential for environmental
degradation and contamination of air, water, and fish and wildlife
resources;
(3) Subsistence Impacts. The potential for negative effects on
subsistence resources and increased user conflicts;
(4) Impacts to Special Designation Areas. The potential for the
exchange to jeopardize the wilderness character of the Service-
recommended White-Crazy Mountains Wilderness Area and to degrade the
``wild'' quality of the Beaver Creek Wild River;
(5) Insufficient Information. The potential that available
biological, environmental, and socio-economic data may be insufficient
to analyze the impacts of the exchange;
(6) Impacts to Rural Communities. The potential for both positive
and negative impacts on rural communities within the Yukon Flats
region;
(7) Loss of Native-owned Lands. There is opposition to the
divestiture of Native lands within the Yukon Flats region;
(8) Socio-economic Benefits. The potential for oil development to
provide high-paying jobs to local residents and strengthen the regional
economy; and
(9) Refuge Benefits. The proposed exchange would increase the
amount of land protected in the Refuge and would facilitate management
by consolidating both Refuge and private ownerships.
Dated: September 8, 2005.
Rowan Gould,
Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Anchorage, Alaska.
[FR Doc. 05-20883 Filed 10-18-05; 8:45 am]
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